Adjustable orifice valve



Sept. 10, 1935. L. F, DEFENBAUGH i 2,014,314

' ADJUSTABLE ORIFICE VALVE Filed July 22, 1931 INVENTOR. OJ/0 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1935 y' AUNITED STATES ADJUSTABLE omnes VALVE Loyd F. Defenbaugh, Oklahoma City, Okla.,

assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Application July 22, 1931, Serial No. 552,459

1 Claim.

My invention relates to ow control apparatus and more particularly to a device of that character commonly known as a "flow bean for choking and adjustably controlling the ow of oil and gas from wells.

The process of bringing in wells under high gas pressures, particularly in territories where a large amount of sand is present in the well uid,

is accompanied with the grave danger of sandy cutting the master gates and other ttings usually employed for controlling wells. 7

It has also become necessary to restrict th ow ofwells to a predetermined proportion of their entire output in order to comply with certain proration requirements.

The principal objects of my invention, therefore, are. to provide a device for restricting the llow of well fluid to reduce its velocity and consequently decrease the sand-carrying power of the oil and gas issuing from the. well; to embody means for reducing to a minimum thecutting action of the sand carried in the well uid; and to provide means for readily adjusting the amount of restriction placed on the ilud so that the proper proportion thereof may be delivered from the well.

In accomplishing these and other objects of my invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of the control device shown in closed condition.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the valve parts in disassembled relation with a nipple shown partly in section to more clearly disclose its construction.

,Y Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3, Fig. l.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates the upper end of a conduit such as well tubing projecting above a well hole, and preferably-comprises the inlet for the apparatus although it would also serve as an outlet.

The upper end of the conduit is provided with external threads 2 for engaging the internally threaded neck 3 of a T-fltting 4 having aligning, internally-threaded, opposite open ends 5 and 6. Secured in the open end 5 is a nipple 'I which may be provided with external threads 8 for connecting the device `to anoutlet conduit 9. The longitudinal opening of the nipple comprises oppositely directed conical portions I and Il meeting at the approximate center of the nipple in a constricted bore I2, and the. outer end oi.' the portion II terminates in a more abruptly diverging wall I3.

Snugly engaging the wall portion II is a valve seat member I4 having an outer face complementary to the wall I I, and including a linear, cylindrical, bore I5. Each of the ends of the seat member are tapered outwardly as shown at 5 I 6 and I 1 respectively.

Slidably mounted in the opening I5 of the seat member is a valve plug I8 having a head I9 provided with a forwardly tapered surface 20 complementary to the 4tapered end I 1 of the seat 10 member to cooperate therewith, and terminating in a frusto-conical body portion 2| provided with` grooves 22 increasing toward the forward end of the body both in width and depth.

It will be obvious that the grooves constitute ports in connection with the seat member for communicating the inlet conduit with the outlet 9,. and that by moving the valve body outwardly from its seat these ports will be gradually increased in size to permit the passage of a correspondingly greater amount of uid through the housing. Means for moving the valve plug to open or closed position includes a valve stem 23 preferably anchored to the valve body by a threaded pin 25 24 engaging an internally threaded socket 25 of the body and secured in assembled condition therewith by a pin 26 extending transversely through aligning openings 21 and 28 in the pin and body respectively. A guide and sealing member 29 for the valve stem includes a head 30 engaging the internally threaded end 6 of the T-fltting, and is provided with a, longitudinal guide opening 32 for slidably and rotatably receiving the valve stem 23. The sealing member 29 is provided on its end with the screwthreaded portion on which is secured the ring-shaped portion 4I of the member 3|. Integrally formed arms or ribs 42 extend from the-ring portion 38 and carry a boss 43 at '40 their outer ends which boss is internally threaded, as ai; 33, for receiving a threaded portion 34 of the valve stem, and packing material 35 in a socket 36 of the guide is urged into sealing engagement with the stem by a gland 31 provided in the reduced portion in accordance with common practice.

'Ihe usual wheel 38 is anchored to the extreme outer end of the valve stem by a nut 39 for 50 rotating the stem to move the valve member axially to and from its seat.

Assuming a valve to be constructed and assembled as described, and to be mounted on the outlet end of welltubing, the operation for control- 55 ling the flow of uid from a well would be as follows:

Since the grooves do not extend throughout the entire length of the plug portion, the valve y member, when in fully seated condition, serves as a gate valve for preventing any flow of uid from the well, but as soon as the valve member has been slightly moved from its seat to expose a portion of the V-shaped grooves `22, iiow of iluid from the well immediately results.

Due to the gradually increasing width and depth of the grooves it will be apparent that the sand, after once entering the grooves upon sumcient opening of the valve, will pass freely into the outlet without any restrictions, and cannot therefore impart a serious cutting action on the valve. Consequently the life of a valve o! this character is much prolonged over the usual devices provided for this m1111088, which, due to their form are more subjected to the cutting -action or sandand other abrasive ingredients carried in the oil.

If, however, after an extended period come worn it is necessary only to replace these two members inv order to obtain a fully reconditioned valve.

The valve plug, when in service, is never entirely withdrawn from the seat member but is supported by said member which prevents chat- .tering and possible breakage of the stem.

y of service, the valve plug and seat member should be- While my invention has been described as beingadapted particularly for controlling oil wells it will be apparent that this device will also serve satisfactorily as a valve for other purposes.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A ow controlled valve of the type described, comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a nipple cooperating with said outlet and having a Venturi-shaped bore consisting of oppositely ilared portions, one oi said portions benow o! iluid therethrough, and provided with a tapered portion from which projects a substantiallyf trusto-conical portion, the tapered portion of the valve head conforming to the tapered valve seat and being of greater diameter than the smallest internal diameter o! the nipple, and means for moving the valve head toward and away from said choke collar and nipple.

LOYD F. DEFENB'AUGH. .l so 

